Regardless of age, ethnicity, or gender, optimally fluoridated community drinking water has clear individual and community health benefits. Properly fluoridated water helps prevent and slow tooth decay.
A 2016 Longitudinal Study examined a number of previous studies of Community Water Fluoridation (CWF) conducted between 1995 and 2013. The Longitudinal Study Research included a CWF Benefit/Cost analysis. (Economic Evaluation of Community Water Fluoridation: A Community Guide Systematic Review; Tao Ran, PhD, Community Preventive Services Task Force and Sajal Chattopadhyay, PhD. Am J Prev Med.—Author Manuscript available in PMCID: PMC6171335 PMC 2018 Oct. 4.)
The authors of the 2016 Longitudinal Study discovered or reiterated the following:                1. Dental costs were lower in communities with water fluoridation.        2. Per capita annual fluoridated water intervention ranged from $0.12 to $5.27 (adjusted for inflation to 2018 dollars) for communities with a population of at least 1,000.        3. Per capita, inflation-adjusted annual benefit ranged from $5.92 to $100.41.        4. Benefit/cost ratios ranged from $1.20 to $1 up to $146.46 to $1. Benefit/cost ratios improve with community population size.        
Study authors concluded the recent evidence continues to indicate the economic benefit of community water fluoridation exceeds the intervention cost. (See PMCID: PMC6171335 PMC 2018 Oct. 4)
Furthermore, research has linked improved dental health to better overall health, especially for children. Properly fluoridated community water for children is associated with fewer dental carries, fewer trips to the ER, less missed school, fewer chronic infections, improved overall health, and improved self-confidence. Intervention early in life is associated with a lower need for drastic intervention later in life. (CDC Community Fluoridation Pages last updated Sep. 7, 2016 and accessed on Nov. 26, 2018.)
Today, roughly 70 to 75 percent of the US population is served by fluoridated community water systems. However, approximately 76 to 80 million Americans still do not have access to water with fluoride; the majority of those without access are in small towns or rural areas. (CDC Community Fluoridation Pages last updated Sep. 7, 2016 and accessed on Nov. 26, 2018.)
Healthy People, an organization that provides science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving the health of Americans, has set a goal to increase the availability of fluoridated water to 76 to 80 percent of the nation's population by 2020. To reach this aggressive goal, an additional 28 to 31 million people will need access to fluoridated community water.
To meet this goal, an improved fluoride delivery system for use by small municipalities must be developed. A tabletized form of sodium fluorosilicate adapted to commercially available feeder equipment will be a viable product for the small community and rural markets.